(source)
A bump on a log...
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A sour puss...
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But I had my reasons. I was nervous! Have I brought that up yet?
I knew I wanted to be with this guy forever...but the idea of everything had me terrified to my very core! Not in a "oooh, what if this doesn't last!" sort of way. I was nervous in a "OMG, someone wants to hang out with me forever?" sort of way.
Prior to my dude, I'd only had 4 boyfriends EVER...and none of them lasting longer than 10 months. Lets be honest...the 10-month boyfriend was in high school. Outside of that, I'd only wanted to hang out with someone for like...a month. No other dude knew that I would rather leave the roll of toilet paper on the floor than put it on the holder. No other dude knew that I had hair on my big toes (yeah...right?...gross, I'm sure). This dude was choosing to know this. Is he nuts? OMG! is he nuts?!!
So after putting the kibosh on attempts 1 & 2, the dude stopped trying (at least I think he stopped). I moved back to Northern California and life went on.
Finally, a year since kibosh #2, we are in Japan. And this is where the story of Amelia the proposal punisher continues...
#3
Tokyo tower. We nearly missed it. The day we had selected to go to Tokyo tower, it rained like crazy. There was a typhoon passing over Japan and no matter what we did to try and get there, hurdles kept popping up and preventing the venture. We were to board the bullet train to Kyoto the next morning, so the opportunity looked bleak. I woke up really early the next morning and thought "You know, we can still make it to the tower before our train." Sure, why not, get breakfast, trek across Tokyo (during rush hour)
I knew I wanted to be with this guy forever...but the idea of everything had me terrified to my very core! Not in a "oooh, what if this doesn't last!" sort of way. I was nervous in a "OMG, someone wants to hang out with me forever?" sort of way.
Prior to my dude, I'd only had 4 boyfriends EVER...and none of them lasting longer than 10 months. Lets be honest...the 10-month boyfriend was in high school. Outside of that, I'd only wanted to hang out with someone for like...a month. No other dude knew that I would rather leave the roll of toilet paper on the floor than put it on the holder. No other dude knew that I had hair on my big toes (yeah...right?...gross, I'm sure). This dude was choosing to know this. Is he nuts? OMG! is he nuts?!!
So after putting the kibosh on attempts 1 & 2, the dude stopped trying (at least I think he stopped). I moved back to Northern California and life went on.
Finally, a year since kibosh #2, we are in Japan. And this is where the story of Amelia the proposal punisher continues...
#3
Tokyo tower. We nearly missed it. The day we had selected to go to Tokyo tower, it rained like crazy. There was a typhoon passing over Japan and no matter what we did to try and get there, hurdles kept popping up and preventing the venture. We were to board the bullet train to Kyoto the next morning, so the opportunity looked bleak. I woke up really early the next morning and thought "You know, we can still make it to the tower before our train." Sure, why not, get breakfast, trek across Tokyo (during rush hour)
Seriously, insane.
(source)
(source)
But we went for it. We had three hours. We got to the tower 10 minutes before it was set to open and there was no one around. The dude was noticeably quiet (this is totally it...quick, find an out!).
The gates open and we go up to the first observation deck. I was so enthralled with the size of the city, I didn't want to go anywhere else. The dude kept asking to go all the way to the top of the tower (at least, as high as you can go), but I just couldn't stop taking photos.
Slowly more and more people showed up on the first observation deck, so the dude asked one last time if I would please to go to the top. "Uhhhhh, ok...". Up we went. We were dead silent in the elevator. He knew what he was about to do (or so he thought) and I knew what was on his mind. Plus...they have elevator operators, and I don't know what they understand, I just stay quiet. DING! OMG, we're at the top. What.Do.I.Do??? We exit.
OH THANK GOD! It's tiny, and there's lots of people (like 5...but it's really small...). The dude is so incredibly private, I knew there is no way it would occur right here, right now, in this place.
We somehow made it back to our hotel, made a money exchange, grabbed a cab, found our bullet train platform and purchased snacks...all unscathed by a proposal!
#4
Kyoto
There were two attempts in Kyoto, but they were both on the same day, so we'll count it as one.
First one was at the Golden Pavilion.
(personal photo)
The gates open and we go up to the first observation deck. I was so enthralled with the size of the city, I didn't want to go anywhere else. The dude kept asking to go all the way to the top of the tower (at least, as high as you can go), but I just couldn't stop taking photos.
I mean...where does it end?
(personal photo)
(personal photo)
Slowly more and more people showed up on the first observation deck, so the dude asked one last time if I would please to go to the top. "Uhhhhh, ok...". Up we went. We were dead silent in the elevator. He knew what he was about to do (or so he thought) and I knew what was on his mind. Plus...they have elevator operators, and I don't know what they understand, I just stay quiet. DING! OMG, we're at the top. What.Do.I.Do??? We exit.
OH THANK GOD! It's tiny, and there's lots of people (like 5...but it's really small...). The dude is so incredibly private, I knew there is no way it would occur right here, right now, in this place.
We somehow made it back to our hotel, made a money exchange, grabbed a cab, found our bullet train platform and purchased snacks...all unscathed by a proposal!
#4
Kyoto
There were two attempts in Kyoto, but they were both on the same day, so we'll count it as one.
First one was at the Golden Pavilion.
(personal photo)
We had shown up so early to this shrine and were one of the first into the facility. So early, we went through twice from beginning to end. We went through the first time and I was ready to go. The dude, on the other hand had a sudden desire to re-see it all. hokayyyyyy. I didn't really think much about it at first but then he started showing a massive amount of interest in some stairs...
(personal photo)
At the top of these stairs, you had a view of everything within this shrine, it was incredibly beautiful. I was procrastinating by taking photos and when I finally joined him after all of his begging, he was surrounded by a crowd. The bummed out look on his face told me exactly what I'd done. Proposal punisher!
#4.5
The gardens behind the Heian Jingu shrine.
(personal photo - my favorite part of these gardens)
(personal photo)
At the top of these stairs, you had a view of everything within this shrine, it was incredibly beautiful. I was procrastinating by taking photos and when I finally joined him after all of his begging, he was surrounded by a crowd. The bummed out look on his face told me exactly what I'd done. Proposal punisher!
#4.5
The gardens behind the Heian Jingu shrine.
(personal photo - my favorite part of these gardens)
These gardens were simply magnificent. They were quiet, private, and near the dead center of the city. We were practically alone. I had a feeling it was going to happen and didn't see an out, so I just let my heart race like I was running a marathon (good prep for the race I was set to run a week after arriving back in the states). I was getting sweaty and couldn't stop the nervous laughter. Maybe THIS is what I was nervous about. Maybe I should learn to handle myself in situations I'm not meant to control. Maybe I have control issues.
Who am I kidding? We all know that already.
Anyway, the dude found a gorgeous bench overlooking the lake, and a foot bridge. Simply beautiful...and so private!
He was making nervous conversation and I was looking at my shoes, eyes darting every which way. Suddenly we hear some talking, look up, and there's a group of school aged kids looking at us like we're Mickey Mouse. A group of about 5 school aged kids (7...8?) on a trip to Kyoto from Gifu were on a mission to introduce themselves and find out where people were from and they were determined to do it all in English. Apparently we look like we speak the language they desired. They nervously introduced themselves to us and told us about them; where they were from, their names and ages, and their favorite sport (baseball! baseball! baseball! soccer! (what?)). They wanted to know where we were from and we pointed it out on a map. It may as well have been Christmas because as soon as we pointed to America they started repeating it over and over again and clapping. They had us sign the map and they took a picture with us (soooo cute!). Then they gave us gifts that they had hand made:
(Personal Photo)
(Personal Photo)
Who am I kidding? We all know that already.
Anyway, the dude found a gorgeous bench overlooking the lake, and a foot bridge. Simply beautiful...and so private!
He was making nervous conversation and I was looking at my shoes, eyes darting every which way. Suddenly we hear some talking, look up, and there's a group of school aged kids looking at us like we're Mickey Mouse. A group of about 5 school aged kids (7...8?) on a trip to Kyoto from Gifu were on a mission to introduce themselves and find out where people were from and they were determined to do it all in English. Apparently we look like we speak the language they desired. They nervously introduced themselves to us and told us about them; where they were from, their names and ages, and their favorite sport (baseball! baseball! baseball! soccer! (what?)). They wanted to know where we were from and we pointed it out on a map. It may as well have been Christmas because as soon as we pointed to America they started repeating it over and over again and clapping. They had us sign the map and they took a picture with us (soooo cute!). Then they gave us gifts that they had hand made:
(Personal Photo)
(Personal Photo)
While this was an absolutely AMAZING part of our trip that makes me smile at the thought...I'm pretty sure this sufficiently ruined attempt number 4.5 for the dude.
If I hadn't ruined all of these other attempts I wouldn't have had the amazing proposal I had...but man, I feel bad for my dude sometimes! At least, after all this time, I can be confident that he knows full well what he's getting himself into.
By the way, when it finally did happen, it felt right and I'm happy as a clam!
If I hadn't ruined all of these other attempts I wouldn't have had the amazing proposal I had...but man, I feel bad for my dude sometimes! At least, after all this time, I can be confident that he knows full well what he's getting himself into.
By the way, when it finally did happen, it felt right and I'm happy as a clam!
Aww...what a great story. He really loves you, congrats!!!!!
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